


For My Next Trick

by orphan_account



Series: phantom thief of the museum [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Detectives, Alternate Universe - Thieves, Crimes & Criminals, Detective! Jeno, Eventual Romance, Inspector! Lucas, Kaitou Kid Au, Kaitou Kid! Jaemin, M/M, Not Beta Read, Reporter! Donghyuck, dont ask me why mark keeps getting like the tiniest cameo ever ok it just happens, jaemin is cryptic as hell, jeno is bad with feelings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-13
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2020-08-20 09:22:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20225524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: See, he and Kid have a...relationship, of sorts. They’re not friends, or really enemies, or even really acquaintances. It’s odd. About three times per month, while Inspector Wong and the rest of the police force stick to their security plan and try to protect whatever it is Kid is stealing that night, Jeno finds Kid somewhere secluded and they end up having a civil conversation. Of course, Jeno still tries to catch Kid in some way that obviously doesn’t work out and ends with Kid escaping into the night, but it’s not as weird as Jeno thinks it should be.orJeno is a detective, and Kaitou Kid likes making things hard for him.





	For My Next Trick

**Author's Note:**

> Would recommend reading the manga or watching a few episodes of Magic Kaito before reading this or you might not get all the references, but can totally be read alone!

_[BREAKING] Kaitou Kid Steals the White Princess Diamond _

_On July 27th, reports show the infamous Kaitou calling card appearing at the Seoul Police Station, the card revealing the thief’s next target: the White Princess Diamond. It is ranked among the top 10 most valuable diamonds in Asia, and has recently been residing in the National Museum of Korea for a special exhibit. _

_Inspector Lucas Wong has made the following procedures by tightening up the security of where the gem is located. When asked if he thinks he can catch the elusive phantom thief this time, he says “100%! By the time this night is over, the diamond will be where it belongs and Kid will have handcuffs on his wrists!” _

_Famed detective Lee Jeno, who has been accompanying Inspector Wong on catching Kid, had yet to offer his insight at the time. _

_Despite all the security measures in place, on the same night, Kaitou Kid struck. While what had actually happened in the museum has yet to be known, it was clear that the diamond was gone, Kaitou Kid managing to escape again. _

_Inspector Wong, undeterred by failure, says that “he escaped this time, but next time, he’s mine!”_

_What do you think Kid will steal next? Leave your answers down in the comments!_

Inspector Lucas Wong stares angrily at the article on the screen, and shuts his laptop with a definitive slam. Jeno looks up from his notes, an eyebrow raised. He’s not the only one, as the police station seems to go silent at Lucas’s outburst.

“Mark my words, people! One of these days, we _will_ catch Kaitou Kid!” Jeno resists the urge to wince. The inspector is already naturally loud, but when he really gets going, it’s almost like a lion roaring in his face. Jeno can’t help but think he’d make a terrible thief, and chuckles to himself.

Outburst over, the station bustles back into work, and Jeno looks over at his notes again. This is the 22nd theft Kid has made, Jeno’s been counting. Despite being assigned the Kaitou Kid case since day 1, Jeno doesn’t care nearly as much about arresting Kid as much as he should. Sure, it would be great to see all the work he’s done accomplish to something, but Jeno lives for the thrill of the chase. If anything, Jeno just wants to know who he is.

See, he and Kid have a...relationship, of sorts. They’re not friends, or really enemies, or even really acquaintances. It’s odd. About three times per month, while Inspector Wong and the rest of the police force stick to their security plan and try to protect whatever it is Kid is stealing that night, Jeno finds Kid somewhere secluded and they end up having a civil conversation. Of course, Jeno still tries to catch Kid in some way that obviously doesn’t work out and ends with Kid escaping into the night, but it’s not as weird as Jeno thinks it should be.

Over that little snippet where they get to chat, Jeno learns some things. Nothing important, but he knows that Kid’s favourite colour is white (shocker), he has an obsession with romcoms, an extreme coffee addiction that might actually need to be checked out, and that he plays the piano. Now, unless the government somehow has records on all the coffee-loving, piano playing hopeless romantic people in Seoul, Jeno’s out of luck trying to find him, but he keeps those traits in his notes nonetheless. Jeno can’t help but wonder though, what it would be like to see Kid unmasked. What if he met him on normal circumstances? Would they be friends? Enemies?

“Inspector! It’s another calling card!” Jeno looks up from where he’s daydreaming with a start, and surely enough, a card is set down onto the Inspector’s desk. Lucas takes a moment to read it, before repeating what the message says.

“Kid’s going after the Moonlit River tonight! Security measures must be taken immediately. Someone give me the damn blueprints!”

Moonlit River, huh? Jeno tilts his head. He’s pretty sure that’s a painting, a quite pretty one, too, depicting two lovers in the light, separated by a fast flowing river.

The officers are frantic as they gather around Inspector Wong, who’s currently looking at the blueprints of the Seoul Arts Museum (after Kid started becoming a thing, they’ve kept records of every museum in the city) with a calculating eye. Jeno rolls his eyes. Always so dramatic.

Still, he steps up to the desk with a skip in his step. Kid never steals again this soon. This should be fun.

“Tell me again why we’re letting reporters film the heist? Last time I checked, Kaitou Kid was a thief, not a k-pop idol.” Inspector Wong doesn’t seem to be listening to him though, too busy shouting something half intelligible into his walkie talkie. The museum is crawling with guards tonight, Inspector Wong setting them up in every room to wait for a sign of Kaitou Kid.

“Detective Lee, do you believe that you will catch Kaitou Kid tonight?” Jeno’s eye twitches, and with a sigh, he turns around reluctantly. Standing before him is Lee Donghyuck, professional reporter and pain in the ass. Jeno can’t count the amount of times Donghyuck had caught him outside of the crime scene and bombarded him with superficial questions. Despite also being admittedly good at his job, Donghyuck is impossibly stubborn and lives for a story.

“No comment.” Jeno says in his most monotone voice, and immediately walks away so that he can escape the reporter’s presence. It doesn’t work, because Donghyuck is hot on his heels, at this point thrusting his microphone in Jeno’s face.

“Have you made any progress in finding out Kid’s identity? What do you believe are Kid’s motives? Are you single?” Jeno stops walking just to throw Donghyuck an incredulous look.

“Hyuck! You’re not supposed to say that!” The cameraman following them peeks out from behind his camera, looking embarrassed on Donghyuck’s behalf. The man in question doesn’t look that embarrassed though, only muttering a small “oops, sorry!” before holding the mic up to Jeno’s face expectantly.

“If I answer will you leave me alone for the next two hours?” Donghyuck nods frantically, too excited at the proposition of the detective finally giving him something to pass it up. Jeno sighs.

“Not really, I don’t know, and yes.” He doesn’t give the reporter any time to report, stalking off immediately. He reaches a circular, empty room, seemingly dedicated to statues. Jeno rolls his eyes.

“He left a blind spot again. Dumbass.” Despite his grumbling, however, he’s glad that at least there’s one place here where he can be alone.

“Now now detective, that’s quite rude.” A melodic voice singsongs. _Spoke too soon._

“Without Inspector Wong being bad at his job, I wouldn’t get to talk to you like this, now would I?” Jeno turns towards the direction of the voice, and the figure, perched up on a high ledge, crosses their legs.

“Hi, Kid.” Kid flashes him a mischievous grin. The sun is long gone, nightfall in its wake, and the moonlight in the windows covers Kid in a cold, ethereal glow. If Jeno were a lesser man, he’d say Kid looks beautiful. Except he’s not, so he doesn’t.

“Good evening, detective. I see you got my card.” Kid uncrosses his legs before swinging them—very befittingly—like a kid. Jeno thinks the thief can see how his mouth perks up just slightly.

“I did. The Moonlit River? I didn’t pin you for an art buff.” Is that another one of your traits? Jeno wants to ask, but settles for gazing at him with an unwavering poker face. This is one of their games, to see who will break first.

“No, that I am not. Though I appreciate a work of art when I see one.” Kid not so subtly looks Jeno up and down, and it takes all of Jeno’s willpower not to squirm.

“I am though, as I’m sure you know, a romantic. The thought of two people who love each other so much, but are separated by circumstances they cannot control, is just—” Kid’s eyes cloud into something unreadable, his smile drooping just slightly, and Jeno suddenly feels a lot more uncomfortable under his gaze, like Kid’s staring into his very soul. “—_dreadful_.”

“They could’ve just built a bridge and walked across.” Jeno says, deadpan, and he’s pleased when Kid bursts into laughter. Jeno was always terrible with sentimental matters.

“Yes, maybe, but perhaps they did not have the materials to build that bridge. Perhaps the materials are rare and hard to find. Life is usually complicated like that, detective. You can’t solve everything.” There is a harsh tone in his voice that Jeno can’t place Defensive? Spiteful, almost? His legs have even stopped moving. Jeno raises one eyebrow in question, and Kid laughs again, the moment broken, and the sound echoing throughout the room. He’s found Kid quite late tonight, and Jeno estimates that they have exactly 2 minutes and 13 seconds before the guards come looking for him. God forbid there be a camera in tow.

“Shouldn’t you get going now? They’ll come here sooner or later.” Jeno says, and Jaemin seems to mull it over.

“True. Though I do enjoy being fashionably late.” Jeno rolls his eyes, but by the time he looks back at the ledge, Kid is already gone, a puff of smoke in his wake.

“Showoff.” he mutters, before walking towards the location of the painting. When he gets there, he sees that Kid still hasn’t made an appearance yet. Inspector Wong still looks smug, however, telling Donghyuck about how there’s no way Kid got through the hundreds of lasers he put at every possible entrance. Jeno chooses to keep his face blank instead of the annoyed look he wants to so desperately give. Wong’s idea this time seems to just be protecting the painting with a large cage that covers the perimeter of the painting, the wall the only thing sealing it in. Jeno’s not sure where he got it on such short notice, but he doesn’t really want to know.

Just when he’s about to walk up to them, a wave of smoke starts to build at his feet, quickly covering his vision. It’s only at this moment that he allows himself to smile, just slightly. It’s starting. When the smoke clears, there stands Kaitou Kid inside the cage, a smug smirk on his face.

“Wha—Kid! How did you get in there?!” Inspector Wong shouts incredulously. The cameraman focuses on Kid’s face, and Donghyuck looks way too excited.

“You’re getting lazy, detective. It was almost too easy to get in this time. Should I recommend you look up new tactics?” Instead of responding aggressively, Insector Wong just laughs. Very, very loudly and for a very long time. It’s starting to get creepy. Even Kid looks surprised.

“I’ve been trying to catch you for a long time, Kaitou Kid.” Inspector Wong says. “And though no one else thinks so, I can learn a new trick now and then. Like _this!_”

Inspector Wong pulls out a remote, and presses one of the buttons. With a loud thud, a new line of bars drop down, effectively separating Kid from the painting and trapping him in.

“Aha! There’s no way you can escape me now!” Inspector Wong points at Kid, starting to look extremely giddy. Donghyuck gasps, and Jeno can hear him whisper “Mark, are you getting this?” towards his cameraman, to which the latter furiously nods.

“Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong, Inspector.”

“What?!” Jesus Christ, why is he always so loud? Jeno winces, his ears just slightly ringing. The added acoustics of the museum don’t help.

“I gotta admit, I’m slightly impressed. Maybe you really are getting better at this, Inspector.” Kid doesn’t look deterred anymore, his shoulders relaxed as he leans against the bars of the cage.

“But you’re forgetting something very, very important.” Kid looks pleased at everyone’s confused expressions, excluding Jeno, of course—his face hasn’t moved once. Kid brings his hat over his face, only his cheshire smile in view, and opens his mouth to speak.

“You could never beat me.” Kid glances at Jeno, just for a second, but it feels like an eternity for Jeno. “Not in a million years.” He raises his cape over his body, and when it falls, there’s nothing there. Including the painting.

Inspector Wong is already shouting orders into his walkie talkie, taking the guards already in the exhibit and running towards one of the possible exits, Donghyuck and the cameraman on their tail. Jeno doesn’t chase after them, because he already knows where Kid is. He grimaces when he sees gooseflesh creeping up his arm, and tugs his sleeve down harshly, before walking away from the exhibit. He doesn’t know why Kid seems to be getting under his skin so much today.

“Nice show.” Jeno says as he steps into the same room from before. It’s the only place he could have gone, seeing that that was the only blind spot Inspector Wong left. True to form, Kid’s there, this time on ground level.

“You placed a two way mirror some distance in front of the painting while the smoke was covering our eyes, reflective side facing away, so that you could still see the painting. But just before you left, you flipped the mirror over with yourself on the other side—I imagine the mirror wasn’t very wide so you could pull that off—so that the mirror was now reflecting the blank wall in front of it. You’re lucky that no one was standing directly in front.” Jeno walks up to Kid, close enough so that he can stare at him and his smug smile.

“Am I right?” Kid doesn’t look the least bit surprised, just smiling at Jeno almost...fondly.

“Outsmarted me again, detective.” To his chagrin, Jeno bristles. He doesn’t like the tone in Kid’s voice. He doesn’t like how genuinely happy he sounds that Jeno figured him out. He especially doesn’t like how Kid’s smile grows at Jeno’s discomfort.

“Though I still have no idea how you made it in and out of the cage undetected in the first place.” Kid doesn’t answer immediately, merely shrugs his shoulders.

“I have outside connections.” Jeno rolls his eyes at the cryptic response. He really loves making Jeno solve everything by himself.

“You should get going, before I start trying to catch you.” Jeno says in warning. He doesn’t feel like chasing after him today. He won’t. Kid chuckles at him, but walks backwards, tossing Jeno a wink before he throws another puff of smoke on the floor. Jeno must be really tired at this point, because he thought he heard Kid say “you’ve always had me.” He needs a nap.

With a yawn, Jeno walks away, his footsteps echoing in the night.

**Author's Note:**

> twt: https://twitter.com/yeah_uh_no
> 
> cc: https://curiouscat.me/yeah_uh_no


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